The Restorer by Amanda Stevens

My name is Amelia Gray. I’m a cemetery restorer who sees ghosts. In order to protect myself from the parasitic nature of the dead, I’ve always held fast to the rules passed down from my father. But now a haunted police detective has entered my world and everything is changing, including the rules that have always kept me safe.

It started with the discovery of a young woman’s brutalized body in an old Charleston graveyard I’ve been hired to restore. The clues to the killer—and to his other victims— lie in the headstone symbolism that only I can interpret. Devlin needs my help, but his ghosts shadow his every move, feeding off his warmth, sustaining their presence with his energy. To warn him would be to invite them into my life. I’ve vowed to keep my distance, but the pull of his magnetism grows ever stronger even as the symbols lead me closer to the killer and to the gossamer veil that separates this world from the next.

The Restorer is just what I needed. I recently mentioned that I’ve been in the mood for the ghost genre. I have read a couple of good ones, but they lacked the menacing vibe I craved. I’m thrilled to say that my craving was finally satiated with this book.

Since the age of nine Amelia has had the ability to see ghosts, and has lived by four rules that keep her safe. At age twenty-seven, she’s the best cemetery restorer around. When dead bodies (that aren’t supposed to be there) start popping up in the cemetery she’s restoring, and Detective John Devlin enters her life needing her help, it becomes tough to stick to those rules.

Amelia is a character I found easy to like. I was fascinated by her ability and her vast knowledge of cemeteries. And the woman has some excellent self-control when it comes to ghostly entities. I thought it was funny how she would wonder how to take certain things Devlin said, but always decided to take it in a good way. Speaking of Devlin … he’s an interesting character; dark, mysterious, and damn sexy. I loved the whole mystery surrounding him and his haunting. And the chemistry between these two was smokin’!

It’s clear from the very beginning that the ghosts in The Restorer are nothing to play around with. They are parasitic and will feed on your energy, wanting nothing more than to feel alive again. I was worried that it would start out creepy, but then turn into a Ghost Whisperer type episode where it ends up all light and fluffy. Don’t get me wrong, I loved that show, but that’s not what I wanted. Thankfully, it didn’t. Plus, the Charleston setting was great, and did a wonderful job at adding a spooky ambiance.

I loved the ride the author took me on. The mystery was great, and kept me on the on my toes. I had an inkling who the murderer was, but there were a lot of players that constantly made me second guess myself. Which is a major plus. All of the twists and turns in this story made a fun ride.

The Restorer really impressed me. So much so, that I immediately downloaded the second book, The Kingdom, after finishing it. I have a good feeling that the Graveyard Queen series with be a favorite of mine. If you haven’t started it, then you need to do so quick!

Reading The Restorer took a group effort. Thanks to Kimba and Heidi for convincing me to read it, and thanks to Joy and Kara for reading it with me. 🙂

I’m glad to hear you liked this one too. I knew Kimba and Heidi did, so you know, I was just waiting for the trifecta before I got there. 😉 I’ve read and kind of disliked so much lately that a spooky ghost story may be just what I need when I can work it in. Great review!

I am so glad you are reading this series Christy, I love it! I am eagerly awaiting the release of her next book! I think she has been working on a new series so this one got put on hold a bit but I am hoping the new book will be out soon because I miss being in this world. The books get better and better too, at least in my opinion they do.

This sounds like an amazing story! I think I’d really like Amelia, and clearly I need to meet this Devlin asap. 🙂 I’d never heard of this, so thanks for introducing me to it. Totally going into my TBR pile now. Awesome review! 🙂

I have to agree with you: no one writes ghost stories like Amanda Stevens! I loved everything about this book: the setting, the characters, the romance, and the sky high creepy factor! The second and the third are also very good.
Wonderful review, Christy!

I’ve been meaning to read this one for so long! I think it sounds exactly like my sort of book… and yes, I wouldn’t mind meeting this dark, mysterious and sexy Devlin character. 😉 Brilliant review, Christy! I’m glad you enjoyed it.

I don’t think I’ll look at gravestones the same way I used to after this book. There are so many interesting nuances! Wonderful book and wonderful review, Christy! You and Joy are ahead of me, I won’t be able to post mine till June but I’ll definitely link yours to it. Let’s do that again soon 🙂